Jack makes his debut as senior consultant in S11 E11, “Made in Britain”. He is obviously keen to impress, and goes all out to get on everyone’s good side. This mostly succeeds, except with Baz, who takes an immediate dislike to him after he performs a craniotomy in resus, in direct conflict with her clearly expressed clinical judgement. This episode sees the beginning of a long rivalry between the two characters, one which eventually costs Jack his job in S12 E11.

He is very forward thinking, and tries several schemes to update the department. He talks with Matt about a new computerised reception system, however he fails to persuade Baz of the merits of computerised diagnosis – he asks her to come up with some symptoms to test it out, and sure enough the computer provides a list of possible diagnoses, but she sarcastically tells him that it hasn’t noted the axe sticking out of her forehead. He also oversees the refurbishment of the department.

He also formed a close working friendship with SHO Richard McCaig, who was suffering from MS. He offered him support and flexibility regarding his illness, and he also tried to help him advance his career by finding him a lucrative SHO post at another hospital, and promising him a registrar’s post upon his return.

During his short time on casualty, Jack fell in love with Jayne, an artist brought in to paint the mural in reception as part of the refurbishment. After a promising start to their relationship, Jack reveals to Charlie in early Series 12 that she got pregnant and left him.

This caused him to be very distracted at work, and in S12 E7 he refuses to continue resuscitating an elderly lady (Hannah Thomas), declaring her dead and sending Charlie to inform her relatives. Whilst Charlie is doing this, Mark and Kate notice her take a breath whilst they’re tidying her up. Kate calls the CRASH team, and Charlie walks into resus with the sister whilst Baz is trying again to save her, but she dies anyway. Jack later tells the sister that it was a nursing mistake, and he re-writes the death certificate to cover his back. Charlie eventually agrees to cover for him, but Baz is eager to hang Jack out to dry and eventually she tells Elliot what really happened.

During a very tough shift, Elliot informs Jack that there have been complaints about him, and he assumes that it was Charlie. As he is arguing with Charlie in admin, Baz steps forward from the assembled staff and tells Jack that actually it was her, and not Charlie. Jack tells her that he trusted her, and she says that he trusted her judgement, and her judgement was right. As the whole staff gather round to watch his response, he arrogantly tells her “No Baz, I trusted your loyalty, but I guess that’s what happens when you start sleeping with the nurses!” (referring to Charlie). After several more bad tempered comments to the rest of the staff, he gathers them all round in admin to tell them that he’s resigning with immediate effect – Baz is now in charge, and he hopes that she enjoys it. Charlie and Baz plead with him to change his mind, but he won’t, he clears the contents of his office into the back of his car and goes to look for Jayne. His last scene is with a patient who has been watching the events of the shift from a cubicle right next to admin, just before he drives away from Holby for the last time.

Last words

[Jack walks walks out of the hospital, carrying a cardboard box with all his things.]

Patient: So, what happened? You give me all that stuff and then you shove it. What about caring? Now I thought you cared about all these people.

Jack: I think maybe I care about someone else more. I’ve got a family, Sharon. Out there, somewhere. I’ve gotta find them, that’s all. There’s a lady and a child she’s gonna have. I should be with them.

Patient: What about this place?Jack: They’ll survive. [Jack gets into his car.]

Patient: No, I’ve been thinking about Tim.

Jack: Nothing’s worse than being alone.

Patient: He’s not gonna be alone, people will be crawling all over him.